Karimabad & the Forts
Seven hundred years of kingdom in one walkable ridge.
Karimabad is Hunza's capital ridge — the stacked old town beneath Baltit Fort (700 years) with Altit Fort (1,100 years) and Ganish's watchtowers a short drive below. Fort entries run ~PKR 1,000 each with guided circuits; SafarGB adds curator access before public hours.
Baltit is the postcard — a Tibetan-style keep growing out of the moraine crest — but Altit is the connoisseur's fort: older, quieter, with a garden café run by the community's women's collective and a sheer 300-metre drop from its watchtower window that resets your inner ear.
The KKH's Aliabad junction climbs to Karimabad in 15 min; everything then walks. Our Hunza mornings start at Baltit's door as it opens.
Questions, answered
Are the forts worth the entry fees?
They're the best-restored medieval buildings in Pakistan and the fees fund their conservation trusts — yes twice over. Budget two hours for both plus Ganish.